Improvement in harrows



JoHN J. yIN'rON, oF sHAHoN, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPRovEMEN'r IN HARRows.

Specification forming part of VLetters' Patent N o. 190,102, dated April 24,1877 5 application filed 'l f February 28, 1877. l i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. VINTON, of Sharon, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harrows; and I do hereby declare that vthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. f

My invention relates to harrows, more particularly to that class known as sulky-harrows,77 which are mounted on a truck-frame or axle and wheels, and provided, with a draftpole, and seat for the driver.

The invention consists in certain new and improved devices and combination of devices by means of which the operation of harrowing is accomplished with much greater ease and comfort to the operator, and more thoroughly and effectually, than with the machines heretofore in use, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan view of my improved harrow with the drivers seat and platform removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached view of one of the cam-levers for adjusting and elevating the harrow frames or bars, and Fig. 4 is a detached view of one of the detachable shovels or teeth employed for ridging the land after the seed is sown and harrowed.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents an axle, andB B two supporting-wheels. O is the `tongue or draft-pole, the rear end of which is secured to the axle by means of four branching bars or hounds, c. DD' D represent the harrow frames or bars; the rear end of the central one, D, is triangularin form, or with two diverging branches, d d. The other frames are made of single bars, the two outer ones, D, being slightly longer than the others.

rJlhe forward ends of these harrow frames or bars are bent or turned upward, and project forward of the axle A, to which they are pivoted by means of a shaft or rod, E, which is secured to the axle by means of staplesor eyebolts e.

F is'the drivers seat, and f the footrest or platform for the support of the drivers feet,

both the seat and platform being mountedl over and above the axle upon posts Vor uprights f', secured to the two outer hounds ofthe tongue. f On the hounds, in front of the platform j, are blocks, which, with suitable cap-pieces g, form journal-bearings for a` shaft or shafts, G, to which l shafts are keyed camlevers H, having handles h. There is one ofthesejcams H for each of the harrow frames or bars, and the bars and cams are so arranged relatively to each other that the latter operate upon the forward ends of the bars, as hereinafter more fully set forth, and the cams may, if desired, each have an independent shaft andop-l erating-handle; or lthey may be arranged in couplets or triplets, as found most desirable and convenient. Segmental rack-bars I may also be used in connection with the lever-han dles h, for theA purpose of holding the harrowbeams in any desired position.

J represents a spring or springs, secured at one end to the axle A, and projecting forward therefrom. These springs operate as elastic or yielding stops, to prevent the harrow-frames or their rear ends rising too high during the operation of the machine.

K represents rods or bars, the forward ends of which are bent upward., in form correspond ing with the form of the harrow-beams and secured to the axle. They are arranged in the spaces intermediate between the harrow frames or beams, as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

It will also be seen, by an inspection of said Fig. l, that the harrow-frames are arranged radially, diverging at their rear ends. They are also provided with harrow-teeth z', of usual construction. u

L represents the furrow-openers or shovels, removably attached to the ends of the harrow-beams, for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

The operation of the machine is as follows When used for iining or pulverizing the soil, or for harrowing in the grain, the shovels L are removed from the bars, and the lever handle or handlesh are depressed. In passing over the field in the operation of harrowing, the harrow-frames will have a'free and independent vertical `movement -sufcient for practical operation, rbut limited by the spring-H stops J, which keep them in proper working position. As each bar or frame is independently pivoted, it will rise and fall without affecting the others, thereby insuring an'even` and steady motion of the machine, preventing the teeth of any one frame being thrown out of the ground through the operation'of the other. Should it be necessary to raise a porf tion of the barrow-frames above the ground,

4so as to clear an obstruction, or for other cause, the operator elevates the lever for voperating the saine, thereby causing its cam H to impinge upon the forward end of the harrowbar, so as to depress it and raise the rear end,

and thereby bring its teeth out of the ground. For convenience in turning at the end of the row, all the barrow-trames may be elevated in this way, and when the machine is `turned it may be backed`up` to the edge of the field, then lowered and again put in operation, so that no part of the field need be left unharrowed'with a machine of this description. It will also be evident that by elevating all the harrows and securin-g them in this elevated position the machine may be driven from ield yto field oralong the road with theV greatest facility.

Should the barrow-teeth get choked up with Weeds or trash during the operation of the machine, they may be at once cleared by raising the frames in the saine manner, the rods K, interposed between the frames or bars, accomplishing this result by stripping and cleaning the teeth, and this operation, it will be seen, can be performed withoutl requiring to stop the machine.

After a field has been sown with grain and properly 4harrowed, it is found advantageous to form furrows and ridges like those let't by the drilling-machine, the ridges protecting the young grain, and the furrows aiding in carrying olil the surface-water. This result can be accomplished with my machine by attaching the shovels or furrow-openers L to the ends of the nbeams, and again passing the `machine .with the cam-levers H, axle A, and wheels B,

substantially as and for the purpose specified. 3. In. combination with the -axle A and Wheels B, and with the pivoted barrow-frames- `having independent motion, as described, the

cam-levers H and rods or bars K, operating substantially 'as and for the purpose specified. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afx my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

JOHN J. VINTON.r

Witnesses v D. G. STUART A. MGGALLUM. 

